Historical Traveler Reviews The Fairmont Hamilton Princess

Just OK

from anonymous

My husband and I just took our first trip to Bermuda over the Christmas 2003 holiday. It was a quick 4 day getaway. We knew it was "off season" and a bit cooler, but we found the island to be beautiful. The hotel was nice, it was being repaired after some hurricane damage it sustained in September 03, so we weren't happy with the noise, but we have a "deluxe" room which was spacious. The carpet was torn and it did need a refresher, but the rest of the hotel seemed nice. The food was great in the bar area, and the drinks were good too. Service was great with the exception of the front desk, who were just neutral. Upon checking out, the clerk was making a hair appointment with her hair salon and never even looked up to ask how our stay was or to thank us for the visit, she just asked for the key and gave us our bill.

Very Nice - but be careful!!

from anonymous

My wife and I stayed at the Fairmont Princess over New Year's 2004, and luckily I had checked this site before completing our booking. We had originally purchased a package in a Moderate Room through Orbitz - but after reading some reviews about the differences in room classes, I switched to a Deluxe Room. It was well worth the extra $50 or so per night. The Moderate Rooms (located in the Pool and Bay Wings), looked to be very old, not renovated, on par with a Motel 6 or a similar brand. Our deluxe room was in the newly renovated Gazebo wing and had a superior view of Hamilton Harbour towards Southampton. The room was very well appointed with a comfortable king sized bed, large walk-in closet, wide furnished balcony, marble-tiled (although cozy) bathroom and other amenities usually seen at 3-and 4-star hotels. The staff was very friendly and tried their best to be helpful, but complicating matters was the closure of the hotel's sister property, the Fairmont Southampton Princess (where many of the recreational facilities are located - beach, golf, tennis, etc.). Many of the front desk staff was unaware of island tourist spots, perhaps owing to the fact that much of the Hamilton Princess' clientele might be business travelers. The room was always spotlessly made up each afternoon, with turn-down service offered every evening. The hotel is centrally located on the island, making it a good base for shopping, dining and sightseeing. Renting a motor scooter is a must - but I recommend nearby Oleander Rentals over the livery located on the property, which appeared to have older machines of inferior quality. The hotel also included a shopping area with branches of some of the larger stores in downtown Hamilton (at similar prices), a coffee shop, a full-service restaurant (very expensive but well-regarded) and a bar that serves regular meals and afternoon tea.

All in all, the Hamilton Princess was a great place to ring in 2004 and I would highly recommend it, but only in the Deluxe and Gold room categories.

One final word of caution, most restaurants, shops and attractions are closed in Bermuda on Sundays, and holidays. Also, probably 90% of the island is back to 'normal' after Hurricane Fabian, but some south shore attractions and hotels remain affected. The famous Natural Arches are no more, and the aforementioned Southampton Princess isn't supposed to reopen until April '04. The Sonesta Beach resort is also closed with no timetable given for re-opening.

Hamilton Fairmont was terrific!

from anonymous

For those who like to walk to everything - the Hamilton Fairmont is a great choice. The town is a few blocks away - stores, restaurants, bars, etc. The hotel has every amenity (including a lovely pool) and there is a free ferry to the Southampton Fairmont which has a great beach. We had never been to Bermuda before and thought the island was beautiful, upscale and relaxing! Also recommend taking the bus to get to sights that are far away - you see alot and it's comfortable and very inexpensive.

Hamilton Princess - Labor Day Weekend

from anonymous

I have just returned from the Hamilton Princess (Labor Day Weekend) and after reading some of the other reviews I can agree and disagree with them. We got a very cheap package deal on the internet so some would say you get what you pay for. Our rooms were not ready when we arrived -11:00 - fair enough, check in was 3:00 we changed into our swim suits and went to the pool. My boyfriend went to check on the rooms (around 2:30) and I reminded him about wanting a room in the rennovated part of the hotel etc.. after reading the reviews on this page. So, they don't always listen - (boyfriends that is) he came back and said the room was fine. He assured me the room was fine. We were in the baywing on the ground floor in front of the Salt Water pool - not the nicely rennovated part of the hotel. It was 6:00 by the time I dragged myself away from the pool to go to the room. It had a damp smell which to be honest after a few minutes you didn't notice anymore and the bathroom left much to be desired. The room itself was very clean; the furniture and carpets were clean and not worn or anything like that. For the time we spent in the room it really was fine. There were NO bugs / NO stains / NO mold / NO rats etc.... If I had to write a complaint it would be that there were no tea bags in the room (a phone call sorted that out) and they kept taking our robes and not replacing them - another phone call and that was sorted. All in all, we had a wonderful time. I was very anxious about the room situation after reading some of the reviews but have to say it was all good!

Awesome Time

from anonymous

We spent 6 days at the southhampton princess and had a great time !! We stayed at the Fairmont Gold level and would HIGHLY recommend it. We have a 14 month old and everybody was incredibly nice and helpful. Expect to pay "vacation" prices for everything. Don't complain..you're on vacation!! Beautiful hotel, friendly staff, great private beach, free ferry to their sister hotel in hamilton...just a great vacation...we didn't want to leave !!

Simply the best, but be careful!

from anonymous

My husband, my two small children, and I just returned from a long

weekend in Bermuda staying at the Fairmont Hamilton Princess. To begin

with, we booked through Travelocity and the only option was the

Fairmont Room - if it is not renovated DO NOT TAKE IT! The minute that

I got there I asked to be upgraded after reading the many reviews of

dissatisfied customers that had the older rooms. I originally called

the Fairmont 800 number to see on upgrading before I got there and they

said that they had no more deluxe rooms, but did have the Gold Club

rooms available for an additional $200 a night. Was a little more than

I wanted to spend. Once I got there, I negotiated with the front desk

and got THE BEST Gold room for $100 a night, and that included

breakfast, afternoon tea with snacks, and evening snacks. The kicker

was free cans of soda, bottled water, and seltzer. Those would cost you

$4.00 each at the minibar. So, I would load up my tote bag and store

the stuff in the minibar to take out with us to the pool, etc. It saved

us a ton of money on drinks. OK, we got a great King room, with free

rollaway that overlooked the harbor and pool. It had a huge tv, cherry

furniture, marble, etc. Absolutely stunning! It is a MUST to request a

higher floor. I was showed a couple of rooms, including the one that I

was supposed to have - the Fairmont Room. Let me tell you, it was the

most disgusting room I have ever seen. Dirty, moldy, stained, awful.

They will tell you that a lot of them are renovated...not so. I am not

a prima donna who has to have the best, but I am insistant on a clean,

updated room. These were not. There were a few people who we met that

were very upset with their room and could not change it. So, I think

you can not go wrong with a Deluxe or Gold floor.

The hotel restaurant was pretty expensive but good, lunch for the 4 of us ran $80.00, dinner without drinks about $110-120. I did find out on the last day that there is a wonderful gourmet market right next door named Miles Market. Ask for it by name or you might not be able to locate it, I walked around the same area for 30 minutes until I found it.

I would not hesitate to go to this hotel again. I recommend it. The service is second to none, the staff extremely happy to help you with anything and the sights are pretty. Just beware of the room issue...know what you are getting or you may be disappointed. Have a great time!P.S. Be sure to take the complimentary ferry over to the Southampton Princess..really nice!

Choose Wisely

from anonymous

My wife and I went to Bermuda in 2002 and stayed at the Hamilton Princess. It was a great time after we had upgraded to a nicer section of the hotel. First room was very old and plain. Even had a little bit of a smell to it. We ended up upgrading to the new level which is the conceirge level. It has its own entrence and really made our trip. Free appertizers and a fantastic breakfast was definitely a plus. Was definitely worth the money to upgrade. Staff was very cordial and Duane at the bar made some great drinks. Access to Southhampton was nice.

Ferry was a nice ride through Harbor and to sites. A quick tip: Ascots is ok but go to the Lobster Pot. It was awesome. Very good food. Would stay here again if back in Bermuda.

Please Take My Advice!

from anonymous

My husband and I went to Bermuda in July 2003 and stayed at the Fairmont Hamiliton Princess. Please read my entire review as it will save you aggervation, time and money! I promiss I will not lead you wrong! We booked our room through an internet service we received a horrible room in the "old-unrenovated" part of the hotel. It was worse than a motel 6 (stains, mold etc.). We asked to switch rooms to the "Newly renovated part of the hotel." We ended up moving 3-times until we got the room we were suppose to get and loved. Make sure to ask for the Renovated rooms in the main hotel with water view in advance!!! We stayed in a Deluxe suite which was wonderful (5th floor). It has a balconey that over looks the water. Spend the money to have one of these rooms. If we were to chose to stay at the this hotel or the sister hotel we would chose the sister hotel on the ocean. It really only takes you a day to tour Hamilton. They have a bunch of shops and restaurants. However, we would have prefered the beach and less city enviroment better. The Hamilton Princess does have a ferry service which is really nice to take over to the other hotel. It is about a 45-min ride over (free). Cabs are very expensive. Any one way trip is going to run you about $25.00. Food at the Hamilton Princess is expensive (for lunch, breakfast etc.). However, there is a wonderful gourmet grocery a few doors down from the hotel that has everything you need and more. We shopped there and stored the food in our mini-bar. If you are going deep sea fishing as we did have your boat pick you up at the hotel habor. You will save yourself $50.00 in cab fees. All day charters are going to run you about $1,000.00. We went on the "Over-proof." We brought a cooler on wheels to bring back our fish. The hotel Chef was so wonderful to trim up the fish filets and bag them for us in servings of four. He then froze the fish for us and kept till we left the island. You can bring fish back only if it is fronze (no dry ice). The best fish chowder is the hotels chowder of which they froze and we brought back as well. A big happy hour party takes place at this hotel on Friday night in the outside courtyard (very nice and cheap).

You must go to the sisters hotel spa! It is a great way to end your time in Bermuda. You can buy a day pass and use all the facilities. We loved the views and the embaniance. The private pool, sun deck and view are so worth it! The airport security is very HIGH. Arrive at the airport early and be prepared to be searched. Buy "Black Seal Rum" in the airport and save the money! My husband bought a very nice lien coat in Hamilton for $200.00. Waterford Crystal is big there. Cruise ships arrive during the week which can make things crowed (try to go shoping when they are not there, that also goes for the beach as well). The sister hotel beach is very small however, next to it is several other breath taking beaches you must explore! My scuba lesson at the hotel was canceled so I was unable to go. Though they give you lessons in the pool which is nice. We ate at "Ascots" one night and were not all that impressed. We also ate at the "Lobster Pot." The rockfish is wonderful!

There is a wonderful sushi restaurant that is above "Little Venice." It was fablious. It is on a side street and a local hang out. Talk about fresh sushi! All the restuarnts are in walking distant from the hotel which is nice for saving money on cab fees! Dinner for two with wine will run you about $150.00. Lunches will run you about $65.00. To give you an idea a sandwich is about $25.00 a large bag of ice and a Sprite is $6.00. Our hotel by far was the best dinners we had on the island. I know the sister hotels food is excellent as well. They do take USA cash and crd. cards. When you get a cab makesure to ask if it has airconditioning! Have Tea Time at the hotel it is very lovely and fun to do. Tea should run you about $25.00 per person. We really enjoyed Bermuda. Everyone was very nice and made us feel very safe. It was a great trip but very expensive one! Know your budget before you book your trip!

Big Disappointment

from anonymous

Just returned from a trip to Bermuda that was awesome. Except for the hotel which was not up to par. In fact, every person I talked with was staying in the second or third room assigned to them. Also beware of bait and switch. They confirmed in fax a rate of $258 for one night including breakfast and then charged us $302.00 and said, "Oh, the fax was incorrect." Not very professional and we even had a friend that saw a big black rat in her room.

Fairmont Princess Hamilton

from anonymous

Hotel choices in Bermuda are all about location....because they don't let you drive here. If the weather is working against you, you can't even take out a scooter... so the Princess Hamilton is a find...walk to the restaurants and shopping in Hamilton.

After visiting Bermuda twice in the past few years, I think it's a fair assessment that this hotel works well for a 4-5 day stay. Suggestion: Join Fairmont's President's club where you will be sent out Suite Upgrades, which are valuable. We are here between the holidays. Occupancy is low, rates are low, staff is in a holiday mood, and not too busy to work with you on anything. For an additional charge you can either stay on the Gold Level ( palatial lounge, breakfast, tea, drinks, canapes, internet, assistance, reading) or you can just pay to have access to it. We selected a suite that was on a non-Gold floor, to have a balcony overlooking pool and harbor. (Gold Rooms are lovely, but small and views are less attractive), then paid the fee for access to Gold. The return on this investment was a no-brainer.. meals are so pricey in BDA that you will appreciate being able to pass on 3 restaurants a day... use the lounge. T1 lines are pretty darn attractive too....only in the lounge! (Renovations are going on here, but we don't even know it.)

Elegant bar off the lobby, with English Tea, fireplace...lovely during the storms we've seen this week of Christmas.

TripAdvisor Reviews The Fairmont Hamilton Princess

Excellent

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